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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. race — humankind
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of a king
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — government
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com